Naine de Waes

A Belgian true bantam from the Waasland (Pays de Waes) region of East Flanders, the fertile polder area between Antwerp and Ghent. The Naine de Waes is a small, clean-legged true bantam with a single comb, rounded body, and full beard and muffs — the classic Belgian bantam silhouette. Its plumage typically appears in cuckoo (barred) and other colour varieties. The breed was developed by Flemish poultry fanciers in the Waasland area in the early 20th century, as the Belgian bantam craze spread from Brussels out into the provinces. Waasland was and remains an intensely agricultural region, producing vegetables, potatoes, and livestock on some of Belgium's richest farmland. The Naine de Waes reflects this deep agricultural heritage — a tiny, ornamental bird bred for beauty by farmers whose working animals were horses and cows, but whose pride was in their exhibition poultry. Recognised by the EE Europastandard.